As health and food safety educators, we need to be poised to reach all generations with food safety education that is effective at influencing behavior change. We’re seeking today’s leaders to bring answers and clarity to questions such as “Where and how will the next generation of food handlers get their food safety information?”
Join us at the table as we bring together our federal partners, the latest research, and the creative outreach programming of BAC Fighters — an active network of 13,000 health and food safety professionals from all sectors. This is the only conference in the U.S. dedicated to consumer food safety education.
For questions regarding abstract submissions, please email cfsec2023@fightbac.org.
Submission Deadline
Abstract submissions are now closed.
Conference Tracks
Sessions will focus on three tracks:
- Food Safety for the Next Generation: Innovative Tactics for Reaching People – Presentations in this category will focus on new and innovative tactics for reaching students, consumers, or food handlers with fundamental food safety practices; including lessons and curricula, game-based learning, social media and influencer outreach, package labeling, virtual reality, technology integration, and smart devices. Demonstrations and interactive presentations such as “how to create an Instagram reel” or “high-speed handwashing” are encouraged in this category.
- Reducing Waste: The Intersection Between Sustainability and Food Safety – Presentations in this category will focus on sustainability and food waste reduction efforts at both industry and consumer levels and their implications for food safety behaviors, including the EPA’s U.S. 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal, industry sustainability commitments, new and innovative packaging, cottage food businesses, food trucks, ghost kitchens, and consumer efforts such as home gardening, food preservation, and bulk meal preparation.
- The New Landscape of Food: Food Safety and Information Delivery in the Digital Age – Presentations in this category will focus on new research on hand hygiene and food handling behaviors and on documented strategies for reaching consumers and food handlers with the information they need to prepare, handle and store food safely, such as marketing best practices, behavior change theory, and new or improved methods of information delivery such as technology integration, packaging/labels, and the impact of e-commerce and food delivery on consumer behaviors.
Posters sessions will focus on the theme:
- Food Safety Education Strategies and Successes! – Posters in this category will focus on successful and effective food safety education campaigns, lessons, and curricula, and on proven strategies for reaching consumers with information on hand hygiene and food safety handling and behaviors. (posters only)
You will be contacted regarding your submission on or prior to September 1, 2022. Thank you for your interest!
If you have questions about your submission, please email cfsec2023@fightbac.org.
Guidance for Preparing Abstracts
Abstract (300 words maximum)
For maximum scoring, all abstracts should be well written and include:
- Introduction: Background, statement of the problem, or basis of the study or outreach program (1 to 2 sentences)
- Purpose/learning objective(s): List the purpose, objectives and/or learning objectives of the study, outreach program, or what conference attendees will learn from your presentation/poster (1 to 2 sentences)
- Methods/Research-based/Evidence-based: Succinctly describe the methods used in the research or outreach program, for peers to understand the design or implementation (2 to 3 sentences)
- Model/Framework: State or describe any model or framework used in your research or outreach program. Examples of models include: Policy, systems, or environmental change (PSE), Cooperative Extension’s National Framework for Health Equity & Well-Being, social ecological model (SEM), etc. If a model does not exist, please list N/A for not applicable. (1 to 2 sentences)
- Results: Describe the results or outcomes of the research or outreach program quantitatively or qualitatively. Please do not give tables, figures, or pending results (2 to 3 sentences)
- Significance: How does your research or outreach program findings improve food safety education and/or public health (1 to 2 sentences).